I would like to discuss the implications of repression and remembrance on sustainability. I believe these two opposing, psychological characteristics represent aspects of our society that may be overlooked when it comes to looking through the lens of sustainability.
Since the dawn of mankind, I would argue that humans have gone down a path of repressing their emotions and feelings, rather than remembering them. I believe evidence to support this theory may be found in some of the earliest agrarian cultures, perhaps in even earlier civilizations. In response to changing climactic conditions that affected crop production, it is likely that our ancestors began to view natural forces as an opposition to their survival. Furthermore, I pose that these emotions helped to begin laying the foundation for the current world view that man is separate from nature. The possibility that humans began repressing these emotions as a way of reconciling the unknown weather conditions is quite possible, though ostensible.
In any case, the practice of repression in and of itself is an unsustainable activity. Similar to the characteristics of efficiency and techno-optimism, repression offers a short-term answer to a problem. Over the long-term, however, the problem is bound to show up again and may even appear more daunting than it did originally. Repression's answer to conflict is an avoidance of the problem. This avoidance of confronting the issue can allow the problem to become even more complex over time.
Remembrance, on the other hand, offers a deeper understanding of the root causes of a problem. The practice of remembrance allows individuals to access the emotions and visions one must possess in order to identify the true reasons that a given problem exists. While it may take more effort initially, the long-term benefits of remembrance far outweigh the additional time and energy required at the start of the process. Furthermore, remembrance can serve as a vehicle towards breaking down the barriers that hinder personal, organizational, and cultural change.
Remembrance should not be overlooked when we are creating our sustainability tool-kits. By reflecting on past experiences and emotions, we as individuals and societies will be able to observe the patterns and results of our initial choices, or lack there-of, in those situations. This ability allows us to more deeply understand the reasons that the problem exists and hopefully be able to cultivate more sustainable solutions. Continued repression, however, will only increase the complexity of our individual and global problems and erode any possibility of sustainable change.
Since the dawn of mankind, I would argue that humans have gone down a path of repressing their emotions and feelings, rather than remembering them. I believe evidence to support this theory may be found in some of the earliest agrarian cultures, perhaps in even earlier civilizations. In response to changing climactic conditions that affected crop production, it is likely that our ancestors began to view natural forces as an opposition to their survival. Furthermore, I pose that these emotions helped to begin laying the foundation for the current world view that man is separate from nature. The possibility that humans began repressing these emotions as a way of reconciling the unknown weather conditions is quite possible, though ostensible.
In any case, the practice of repression in and of itself is an unsustainable activity. Similar to the characteristics of efficiency and techno-optimism, repression offers a short-term answer to a problem. Over the long-term, however, the problem is bound to show up again and may even appear more daunting than it did originally. Repression's answer to conflict is an avoidance of the problem. This avoidance of confronting the issue can allow the problem to become even more complex over time.
Remembrance, on the other hand, offers a deeper understanding of the root causes of a problem. The practice of remembrance allows individuals to access the emotions and visions one must possess in order to identify the true reasons that a given problem exists. While it may take more effort initially, the long-term benefits of remembrance far outweigh the additional time and energy required at the start of the process. Furthermore, remembrance can serve as a vehicle towards breaking down the barriers that hinder personal, organizational, and cultural change.
Remembrance should not be overlooked when we are creating our sustainability tool-kits. By reflecting on past experiences and emotions, we as individuals and societies will be able to observe the patterns and results of our initial choices, or lack there-of, in those situations. This ability allows us to more deeply understand the reasons that the problem exists and hopefully be able to cultivate more sustainable solutions. Continued repression, however, will only increase the complexity of our individual and global problems and erode any possibility of sustainable change.
No comments:
Post a Comment